Into the Mystic
by chessqueen
Summary: COMPLETED. This is a SummerSethAnna story. Is all that glitters gold? This story is PG13 primarily due to some harsh language.
1. Default Chapter

TITLE:  Into the Mystic

AUTHOR:  chessqueen

DISCLAIMER:  The O.C. and its characters belong to Josh Schwartz and a whole lot of people at Fox Television I don't know.  No copyright infringement is intended.

RATING:  PG-13 for a very brief sexual reference.

PAIRINGS:  Summer/Seth/Anna

SPOILERS:  Every episode up to and including The Heights

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This story takes place after The Heights, thus the stuff on Caleb's boat did not happen though there may be some freaky similarities.  Go figure.

________________________________________________________________________

The California Pizza Kitchen at Newport Pier was a favorite among tourists and locals alike.  It was so crowded that even though it was a late Tuesday afternoon, Anna Stern found it difficult at times to hear over the din of the place.  All around, people were talking, laughing, and eating.  She could also hear the incessant sound of the wait staff laying glass plates down on metal tabletops and eating utensils brushing against the plates.  

          "We should go sailing over spring break," she said as she wiped her hands on her napkin.  

          "That sounds great," Seth Cohen began.  He was bent over the table, sprinkling Parmesan cheese on his pizza.  Anna wrinkled her nose.  The smell of tomato sauce and cheese suffocatingly filled the air.  The food was good though, she thought as she took another bite of her vegetarian pizza.  And though it was not wholly cheap, it was cheaper than some of the other restaurants on the pier.  "But I don't know if my parents will let me go.  I don't think my mom would be comfortable with me sailing alone down the California coast."

          "You wont be alone, homes, I'll be there too.  Besides, I did sail to Tahiti this past summer so I know what I'm doing."

          "Just the kind of woman I'm looking for," Seth said then took a bite of his barbeque chicken pizza.

          _You could have fooled me_, Anna thought as she snuck a quick peek at him.  As usual he was dressed casually, today it was a red and blue striped polo shirt and jeans, yesterday it had been jeans and a black t-shirt.  He was cute, but not in a conventional way, not like that blonde himbo, Luke Ward.  No, Seth was different.  He had the most amazing blue eyes and the curliest dark hair she'd ever seen.  In fact, she'd liked him instantly upon meeting him at cotillion practice over the summer.  Unfortunately, Anna was trapped in the dreaded "friend zone."  She was the buddy, the gal pal, the girl Seth freely talked to about other girls.  It didn't help that he was crazy, madly, obsessively, in love with this whiny, shallow, self-absorbed girl named Summer Roberts.  Anna hated her.  Even if she didn't have feelings for Seth, Anna would still hate her because women like Summer were manipulative, vain, vapid, narcissistic, often cruel, and cliquey  - in a word, Summer Roberts was your run of the mill "sheep."  Of course Anna saw herself as more of an individual, a person who was not a slave to trends.  For example, today she was dressed in a long western-style denim skirt, a white tank top, laced-up black Doc Martens, and dangling silver bauble earrings, not because the outfit was trendy, it wasn't, but because she liked it.

          "Guess what!" Anna said leaning forward, her silver bauble earrings catching the sunlight.

          "What?  You're trying to hypnotize me with those earrings."

          "Very funny," Anna said sarcastically.  "Seriously, you're going to absolutely love me once you hear this.  What is the hottest ticket in town this weekend?"

          Seth began playing with his straw as he thought about it.  "The Bennifer wedding?"

          "The Bennifer wedding?" Anna said a confused look on her face.  "C'mon Cohen, think LA Civic Center."

          A beatific smile suddenly appeared on his face.  "The comic book convention."

          "Yep," Anna said beaming.  "My dad was able to snag us two tickets."

          "Awesome," Seth said raising his hand in a high five; Anna swatted it away.  "Well done grasshopper."  

          "Frank Miller is going to be there."  Frank Miller was the writer/artist behind the Batman graphic novels The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again and the creator of the character Elektra in the Daredevil comics.  "This must be a masturbatory wet dream for you."

          "Perdone me por favor?" 

          "C'mon Cohen, I know you do it," Anna said in a low breathy voice.  "You can tell me.  Whom do you think about?"  She had intended to sound coquettish, but immediately regretted asking the question.  She knew exactly whom Seth thought about when he walked the dog so to speak and she certainly didn't want to think about him thinking about that harpy.

          "You're a modern woman Ms. Stern.  I'm sure you practice the art of self-love.  Whom do you think about?"

          Anna blushed.  She couldn't very well say 'you' or could she?  No, Anna thought as she brushed away an imaginary speck of dirt off her skirt.  "A woman never tells," she said mockingly demure, lowering her eyes.

          "I like a woman of mystery," Seth said then cleared his throat.  "Now on to other things.  We've got to up the ante on this Summer thing." For the past two weeks, Anna had been "pretending" to have a thing for Seth in order to make Summer jealous.  But it wasn't just a game to her.  Of course, Seth was totally oblivious to this.  "The dance is a month away and I am determined to have Summer on her knees begging me to accompany her."  Reflexively, Anna rolled her eyes.  She was so damn sick of hearing about Summer Roberts.  Summer this and Summer that, Seth went on and on and on about the witch.  "Don't give me that look," he said catching her in the act.  "By the way, what's with everyone and these looks?  You have a look, Ryan definitely has a look, even my parents have looks.  Me, no look."

          "Cohen focus," Anna said picking up a napkin and throwing it across the table at him.

          "I really think I'm starting to grow on her."

          "But, does like a fungus, something you want to go around bragging about."

          "If I had a look, which I don't, and looks could kill, you'd be so dead right now."

          Anna sighed.  "I guess I could kiss you again."

          "Granted that was a stellar move, but I don't want to wear that tactic out.  Besides, we really need to bring our A game?"

          "We could have sex on the biology lab table.  Is that A game enough for you?"

          "Oh, Anna, you are so funny," Seth said then laughed wryly.  "My life is going down the crapper, yet you're making jokes."

          "You know Cohen, there are other fish in the sea, birds in the bush, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera," Anna said looking pointedly at him.

          "But there's only one Summer Roberts."


	2. Chapter 2

Seth Cohen fell in love with Summer Roberts all because of an apple pie.  He should have known something was wrong the day his best friend Chris hadn't shown up for school.  After eating lunch and playing kickball, he'd come back to class to find his fourth grade teacher in tears and his mother and father huddled in a corner, stricken looks on their faces.  Chris and his mother Marlene had died in a car accident on a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu.  Instantly, he felt his whole world falling apart.  The only thing that made sense, the only thing he could think to do, was lay his head on his desk and cry.  Of course, his parents pulled him out of school for the rest of that week.  They took him home and tried to comfort him, but it was Summer and her mother standing on his doorstep one night, an apple pie in hand, that somehow managed to penetrate the thick shell that had started to form over his heart.  He knew instantly, that should he live to be a hundred, he would remember that moment forever.  

That was six years ago and he was still in love with her despite the fact that she wouldn't give him the time of day.  _But,_ the tide was turning.  He could see it and feel it and taste it, all thanks to a certain blonde transplant from Pittsburgh named Anna Stern.  

            "Have you thought about what we talked about yesterday?" Seth asked as he and Anna crossed the Harbor School quad, the glare from the afternoon sun momentarily blinding them.    

"We talked about a lot of things yesterday," she said stopping in front of him.

            "Watch it geek," one of the football players said as a football whizzed past Seth's head.  All around there was movement - students tossing Frisbees, playing hacky-sack, sitting on the grass, or just milling around.

            "Jackass," Anna called after the football player.

            She and Seth resumed walking until Seth stopped again.

            Standing near the entrance to the library was Summer.  She was dressed in a white mid-riff top, a short denim skirt, and clogs.  Her brown hair hung loose at her shoulders.  Three girls similarly dressed surrounded her.

"How do I look?" Seth asked.

"You're so money and you don't even know it."

"Swingers.  Nice.  Seriously, is my Jew-fro in place?" Seth asked patting his hair.  

"You look great Tiger, let's go," Anna said as she wrapped her arm around his waist.  They slowly began walking toward Summer and her friends.  Just as they were passing them, Anna's hand moved from around Seth's waist and landed with a loud thud on his right butt cheek.  Then, she gave it a firm squeeze.  Shocked, Seth turned to look at her but she continued to stare straight ahead, a wanton smile on her face.  Remembering their objective, he quickly turned his head to gauge Summer's reaction.  She was fuming.  Her face was tight, her lips were pressed into a thin line, and she stood with her hands on her hips, her foot tapping against the concrete walk.  Seth tried to catch her eye, but she swung her head around and resumed talking to her friends.  

            "Awesome," he said turning to face Anna.  "But watch it grabby, I'm a nice Jewish boy, okay?"

            "Whatever."

            "I'm totally pumped now, why don't we discuss our next move over lunch?  But first I need to stop by my locker, so I'll meet you in the cafeteria."

            "Sure," Anna said then headed toward the lunchroom.

            Seth turned and walked into the main building.  The halls were crowded.  So much so, he had to push his way through a tidal wave of students trying to get out of the building.  But finally, he made it to his locker.  Once there, he dropped his backpack on the floor, tumbled the locker's combination lock, pulled on its latch, and opened the door.  To his surprise, an expensive-looking beige envelope fell out.  As he slowly bent down to pick it up, he noticed his name typed across the front.  Confusion swept over him as he untucked the envelope's flap.  Unconsciously he held his breath as he pulled out a folded sheet of stationery that matched the envelope.  He unfolded the letter, began reading it, then stopped.  He looked down one end of the hallway then the other.  After a few minutes, he resumed reading the letter, finally folding it and stuffing it back into the envelope.

            A love letter … someone had sent him a love letter.  His first thought was that it was some cruel practical joke, but the more he thought about it, a smile began to spread across his face.  Summer.  God, Anna was a genius; her plan was working like a charm.

***

            "Summer," she heard someone call from down the hall.  It was five o'clock so the school's main building was empty except for a handful of students packing up to go home.  As the figure got closer, she could see that it was Seth Cohen.  _Damn_, she thought.

            "What Cohen?" she said testily, turning around to face him.

            "I got your letter," he said, a self-satisfied smile on his face.  The smile irked her; it suggested a familiarity they did not share.  Who_ did Seth Cohen think he was?  He certainly didn't have any business talking to her._

            "I don't know what you're talking about, Cohen."

            "C'mon Summer, I like you, you like me, can you blame me for trying to put together some kind of relationship between us?"  Seth said as he leaned against the locker next to her's.

            "That will **never **happen.  Besides, I'm seeing someone.  He's a film student at USC.  So, if you don't mind," Summer said slamming her locker door shut then pushing pass Seth.  Quickly, she walked down the hall and down the stairs.

***

Seth stood stunned for a few minutes, unable to move.  If Summer hadn't sent him that letter then who did?  Was it really someone's idea of a practical joke?  Or, was Summer just toying with him, too embarrassed to admit her feelings?

***

            Summer ran out of the main building and didn't stop until she reached the safe confines of her jeep.  She hated to admit it, especially to herself, but Seth Cohen was actually starting to grow on her.  _He's kinda cute, I guess_, she thought as she started the car then pulled out of the student parking lot.  _But god, what would my friends say?_  High school could be a social minefield; thus, the right clique was everything.  It defined you, it opened doors for you, and it protected you.  She'd hung out with the same group of girls since junior high and she knew they wouldn't be open to her associating with Seth Cohen let alone dating him.  Granted, he **was** Caleb Nichols' grandson, and Caleb Nichols ruled Newport Beach.  But Seth was such a lost cause even that wasn't enough to save him - his father was a tree-hugging liberal, he read comic books, and the skateboarding thing was so passé. 

***

            "Are you sure your parents don't mind me spending the night?" Seth asked as he reached for the t.v. remote control.  He was sitting on Anna's bed in her surprisingly very pink bedroom.  _I never would have pegged her as a girly-girl_, he thought as he grabbed a handful of Doritos. "Why should they?" Anna said as she turned off the stereo.  "It's not like there's anything going on here.  Nothing's about to go on here, is there?" she asked raising her eyebrow.

            "Of course not, that's another of my problems.  The ladies think of me as safe.  You'd think safe would be good but apparently it's not.  Bad.  Bad, bad, bad, bad," Seth said slapping his own hand.

            "Will you stop bellyaching and whining.  I know plenty of girls who would go out with you."

            "Name one."

            _Me_, Anna thought as she walked across the room and crawled into the bed next to him.  "Lots Seth, lots.  But, wasn't the convention great?  The fact that Neil Gaiman showed up unannounced was icing on the cake.  I totally love Sandman.  So, are we still doing this Lord of the Rings marathon?" Anna asked as she lay back against her fluffy, frilly, white lace-covered pillows.

            "Yep."

* ~ *

            Three hours later, Seth was still watching The Fellowship of the Ring DVD when he heard Anna moan.  She'd fallen asleep an hour ago so he'd had to content himself with finishing the bag of Doritos and throwing popcorn at the t.v. whenever Orlando Bloom appeared on screen.

            "Seth."

            "What?" he said turning to face her.

            "I love you."

            _What?  Did she just say what I thought she said?_ As if on cue, Anna said it again.  _Shit, what do I do now?  He liked Anna, but strictly as a friend.  As he looked down at her slumbering form, he had to admit she was cute.  On the other hand, Summer was gorgeous.  Anna was a mere girl, but Summer, Summer was a woman.  In fact, she was the kind of woman a guy would kill to go out with, the kind of woman a guy could be proud to say was his girlfriend._

            For twenty minutes, Seth contemplated the situation, breaking out in a cold sweat as a result.  Meanwhile, Anna began stirring in her sleep.  As she rolled onto her side, her hand landed with a plop on Seth's crotch.  He jumped as if rammed with a hot poker, lost his balance, and crashed to the floor.  He laid there silently in pain like a deer caught in headlights waiting for what seemed like an eternity to see if she would wake up, but she didn't.

Quietly, Seth stood up.  He tiptoed across the room and gathered his things.  Just as he was sneaking out the bedroom door, he happened to glance at Anna's desk.  There tucked neatly in a corner were beige envelopes and stationery that matched those used by his secret admirer.  _Fudge,_ he thought.  Once outside the door, he slipped on his shoes and walked down the stairs.  Her father was still up.  After telling Mr. Stern he had a family emergency, he let himself out of the house and raced down the driveway to the end of the block.  Immediately, he called Ryan.  Ten minutes later, Ryan drove up in the Cohens' Range Rover.

            "Why am I picking you up?" Ryan asked as soon as Seth opened the car's passenger side door and climbed in.  As usual, Ryan was dressed in a white t-shirt, faded jeans and scuffed black Doc Martens.  "I thought you were spending the night at Anna's."

            "Dude, she's in love with me," Seth said as he ran his hand through his hair.

            "What?"

            "I know.  We were watching The Fellowship of the Ring four-disc box set.  Excellent product by the way.  We should really watch that some time."

"Seth," Ryan said interrupting him.

"Sorry, she fell asleep and the next thing I know she's mumbling 'I love you'.  Oh god Ryan, what should I do?"

            "How do you feel about her?"

            "Anna's cool and all, but she's you know."

            "No," Ryan said letting the word out slowly.

            "She's Anna."

            "Yeah?"

            "And Anna's not Summer."

            Ryan sighed.  "Seth, have you ever considered the possibility that there may be other fish in the sea besides Summer?"

            "That's what Anna said."

            "Maybe she has a point.  You and Anna are both into sailing, movies, and comic books.  You have a lot in common.  What do you and Summer have in common?"

            "What do you and Marissa have in common?"    

            Ryan sighed again.

            "I want Summer," Seth said.  "I can't help it; the heart wants what the heart wants."


	3. Chapter 3

            Anna adjusted her pink faux fur Kangol cap one more time before joining the throng of students walking the Harbor School's halls.  She was dressed in pink Capri pants, a pink and white checkered V-neck sweater, and pink hi-top sneakers with white laces.  She knew everyone would probably find her outfit laughable, but that was okay.  She felt pretty, which was the important thing.  She openly smiled as she continued down the hall, a noticeable spring in her step.  Talk of the dance, two weeks away, dominated conversations in the halls, which wasn't surprising considering the walls were plastered with posters and banners advertising it.  Anna was certain she'd be going with Seth.  She could see them now, he in a black tux, she in a black strapless dress, dancing under one of those silver disco balls as Tony Bennett's "The Way You Look Tonight" played over the sound system.  As she turned a corner, she could see Seth walking up ahead, his curly brown head bobbing above the crowd.  She had to suppress the impulse to call his name.  It had been four days since he'd come over to her house and if she didn't know better, she'd swear he was avoiding her.  _Well not today, Anna thought.  Today she was determined to get to the bottom of what was bothering him.  Whatever it was, she was sure they could work through it together.  Silently, she watched as he stopped at his locker.  After a few minutes, she walked up to him._

            "Hey," she said tapping him on his shoulder.

            He jumped almost dropping his books.  "Jesus Anna, why are you sneaking up on me?"

            "Why have you been avoiding me?" 

            Seth flinched then looked away from her.  "I don't know what you're talking about.  If you'd excuse me, I need to go to the washroom," he said slamming his locker door shut and brushing past her.  He quickly walked down the hall and into the men's washroom.  He stirred so many emotions in her – confusion, affection, and attraction.  Seth was the smartest, quirkiest, funniest, most interesting boy she'd ever met and she liked him … a lot.  _Focus, she thought as she swung her bag over her shoulder and sauntered up to the door of the boy's washroom.  She hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, then pushed open the door and walked through._

            The men's washroom was similar to the women's except it was painted blue instead of yellow and there were urinals.  It smelled better than she would have guessed though there were paper towels on the floor near the garbage can where guys had obviously been shooting baskets.  As Anna walked further into the washroom, a few guys smirked at her while others just stood watching her with shocked faces.  

            "You must be looking for me.  Well here I am," a big burly guy said pointing at his crotch.

            "Fuck off," Anna said.

            "That's what I'm trying to do, baby."

            She spotted Seth standing at a urinal and walked up to him.  "We need to talk."

            "Anna!  What the hell?" Seth said in a rush as he stuffed his penis back into his pants.  "For Christ's sake, I'm trying to pee."

            Anna averted her eyes but not before getting a look at his penis.  It was perfect but she had to will herself not to smile, she couldn't afford to waiver from her course now.  "We need to talk."

            Suddenly the room filled with laughter, coughing, and whipping sounds as all of the guys now stood watching them.

            "Let's get out of here," he said grabbing her by the arm and leading her out of the men's washroom.  On their way out, they nearly bumped into Ryan who was going in.  As he passed, Ryan gave Seth a quizzical look.

            "Don't ask," Seth said simply as he led Anna into the hallway.  "What is this about?" he demanded.

            "You tell me," she said putting her hand on her hip and staring pointedly at him.

            "Anna, I don't have time for this.  Can't we talk later?"

            "No."  It was obvious by her tone that if he didn't talk to her now, she would cause a scene.

            He sighed then ran his hand through his hair.  "Then let's go to the auditorium."

            Seth led the way as Anna followed closely behind.  They ran downstairs, turned to the left, and walked down the hall to the auditorium.  As they entered, Anna could see the floodlights on at the base of the stage giving light to the kids practicing for the winter talent show.  The back of the auditorium, though, was dark, quiet, and empty so they sat back there. 

            "Why have you been avoiding me?" Anna asked.  Even in the shadows, she could see Seth shift uncomfortably.  She wanted to touch his cheek, a gesture to show him that she was there for him, that he could trust her with whatever was troubling him.  She assumed it had something to do with either his parents or Ryan.  In fact, she'd recently read in the Los Angeles Times that his father, an attorney, had taken a case against his grandfather's real estate development company, which was probably causing some tension at home.

            "I don't know what you're talking about."

            "Don't lie to me Seth.  I thought you had more respect for me than that."

            For what seemed like an eternity, he sat without uttering a sound, looking down at his shoes.              "I don't know where to start."

            "How about why you suddenly left Saturday night when you were supposed to spend the night at my house.  My father said you had a family emergency but when I called your house Sunday morning, your dad didn't seem to know anything about it."

            "Look, Anna," Seth said reaching out to grab her hands but stopping himself.  "I know."

            "Know what?" she said.  She could feel her heart beating faster as adrenaline flooded her system causing her skin to flush and her breathing to become shallow.

            "About the letter."

            "Oh."  Suddenly Anna felt nauseated, as if she'd just ridden one of those floor drop rides at an amusement park.  "So what do we do now?"

            "You know how I feel about Summer, but I hope we can stay friends."  

            Bile slowly began to rise in Anna's throat.  This was just too much.  After everything that had happened between them, Seth still couldn't see she was the woman for him.  

"I don't think that's possible," she said then looked down at her hands.  Her pink nails were ragged where she'd bitten them earlier in the day.  _No more, she thought.  _I can't do this anymore.  _ "I thought I'd never say this," Anna said as she rose, wiping a tear from her cheek.  "But I actually feel sorry for Summer because you don't know the real her and I don't think you're interested in getting to know the real her.  I think you're only interested in the Summer you've invented.  When you invent people, you project and ascribe those qualities onto them that you want them to have regardless of whether that's who they are or not."  With that, Anna turned and walked out of the auditorium without looking back._


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Thanks for the feedback.  The lyrics to "Landslide" were written by Stevie Nicks.         

Fifteen minutes after Anna had walked out of the auditorium and his life, Seth remained seated, his head in both his hands.  _What have I done, he thought.  He couldn't believe that after all he and Anna had gone through together, after all that they had shared; their friendship had ended like that.  __But, Seth thought as he straightened up, __I've always been honest with her about my feelings for Summer.  I have nothing to feel guilty about.  But he did feel guilty.  He had hurt her.  The image of her stricken face was so engrained in his mind that if he were to take a rock and beat himself senseless, he still wouldn't be able to get rid of it._

            Then all of a sudden, he could smell the faint scent of Chanel No. 5.  He looked up to find Summer standing next to him.

            "Okay Cohen, I'll allow you to take me to the mall this Saturday, come by my house at noon," she said then turned and walked away.

            For the second time that day, Seth sat stunned.  He had a date with Summer.  After six years of dreaming about it and praying to any deity who would listen, it had finally happened.  _What about Anna, a nagging voice asked.  _I was always honest with her, _he answered back_.  Please let me enjoy this.__

***

            Summer smiled as she headed to gym class.  As usual, she was late, but thank god that this semester they had sex ed so she didn't have to change into her gym clothes.  She entered the classroom and like a heat-seeking missile, she zeroed in on Anna sitting at the back.

            _Perfect, _Summer thought as she sauntered over and took a seat next to her.  She didn't know exactly why she hated the petite blonde-haired girl.  Maybe it was because Anna seemed so confident and self-assured.  From the very beginning, Anna didn't seem to care what people in Newport Beach thought of her.  On those rare occasions when she was honest with herself, Summer wished she could be more like that.  However, today was not one of those days.  So after the class had settled down, and Ms. Cross had begun her lecture, Summer scribbled a note to Anna and threw it onto her desk.  Anna looked over at Summer with a mixture of surprise and disgust but opened the note anyway.

- Guess who I'm going out with Saturday, it read.

- I don't care; Anna wrote back then tossed the letter onto Summer's desk.

- Oh, I think you will (Summer).

- Fuck off (Anna).

- Seth Cohen (Summer).

- I don't care (Anna).

- Really (Summer).  Good, because I'm going to fuck his brains out.

Suddenly Anna's hand shot up.  "Ms. Cross, may I be excused?" she asked shooting Summer a vicious look.  "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Of course, Anna," Ms. Cross said with a concerned look on her face.

"Thanks," Anna said gathering her things.  She rose and walked out of the room.

After five minutes had passed and still no Anna, Summer raised her hand.  "Uh, Ms. Cross, maybe someone should go check on Anna."   

"Go ahead Summer."

She gathered her things and immediately headed for the women's washroom down the hall.  As soon as she entered, she could see Anna standing at the sink splashing water on her face.

            At the sound of the door opening, Anna looked up and saw Summer's reflection in the mirror over the sink.  She wiped her face with a paper towel then turned around to face the other girl.

            "What do you want?" Anna asked.

            "I just wanted to see how you were doing," Summer said as she joined Anna at the sink.  "So, how are you doing?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

            "Like you really give a damn."

            "Tsk, tsk.  Such language."

            "What do you want Summer?"

            "Nothing.  I'm here to give you something actually.  A clue.  I'm going out with Seth Cohen this Saturday."

            "I'm happy for you," Anna said sarcastically.

            "Be that as it may, I've won him - game, set, and match so back off."

            "You know what Summer, you and Seth deserve each other."

***

            "So," Ryan said from his position on the pool house floor.  The floor was littered in pop cans and empty potato chip bags.  He and Seth had been playing Grand Theft Auto since they'd woken up that morning, but now Seth was getting ready for his date with Summer.

            "So what?"  Seth asked as he rubbed gel in his hair.  "Collar up or down?" he said referring to the collar of his yellow and black striped polo shirt.

            "Down.  Have you even spoken to Anna since you broke up?"

            "Number one, it wasn't a break-up, we weren't dating.  Number two, I called her house and I've tried talking to her at school, but no go.  And three," Seth said turning to stare fixedly at Ryan.  "I don't want to talk about it today."

            "Seth …."

            "No, I'm finally going out with Summer.  I will not allow anything or anyone to ruin this day."  Seth had dreamed about this day for years.  Ever since she'd shown up at his house with that apple pie after Chris had died, he'd felt a connection with her.  Summer was the one.  And if she'd just take the time to get to know him, she'd see too that they were meant to be together.

            At last, Seth pulled his mother's Range Rover out of the Cohens' driveway and drove to Summer's house.  As soon as he pulled onto her street, he could see her standing in front of her Spanish-style house.  He barely had time to stop the car before she jumped in.

            "Let's go," she said.

            "All righty then," Seth said then drove on.  His eyes, seemingly of their own volition, landed on Summer's tanned legs and trailed up her thighs to the hem of her black Diesel skirt.  He cleared his throat.  "So what are we doing today?" he asked, trying to focus on the road.  The last thing he wanted was for her to catch him scoping her.  Plus, he'd have some explaining to do should they get into an accident.

            "Shopping."

            "Shopping?"

            "I want to pick up a Juicy sweat suit and some Jimmy Choo's."

            "Huh."

            "Clothes and shoes Cohen."

            "Oh."

            For twenty minutes, Seth drove in silence trying to think of something witty to say.  He'd never imagined that talking to her could be so hard.  In fact, it had been much easier talking to her back when she didn't care about him.  Once they reached the mall and Seth found a parking spot, he jumped out of the Range Rover and ran around to open the passenger side door for Summer.  Without saying a word, she hopped out and began walking toward the mall's entrance.  Seth stood for a moment looking at her retreating form.  She was beautiful, just the stuff of a sixteen-year-old boy's fantasies – well-toned legs, firm butt, arched back, long flowing hair.  Her sultry eyes, perky breasts, and pouty pink lips didn't hurt either; Seth thought as he locked the car's doors then ran to catch up with her.

            "So Cohen, what do you usually do for fun?" Summer asked turning her head to face him.

            "Sail, surf, skateboard.  I also read comics." 

            "Oh."  

As soon as he'd said it, Seth wished he hadn't.  Even to his own ears, his life sounded lame.  "Well what do you do for fun Ms. Roberts?"

            "Hang out, party, shop."

            A niggling thought tried to push its way through Seth's consciousness, but he quickly brushed it aside.  _Now was not the time to get negative.  _ After years of wanting to be with Summer, he'd finally done it.

            For two hours, they maneuvered their way through the mall, stopping at Nordstrom's, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Nieman Marcus.  As they were leaving Tower Records, they spotted three girls from school.

            "What's up Summer?"  Ashley Farnsworth, a tall blonde, said eyeing Seth suspiciously.  "You two together?" she asked cocking her head in Seth's direction.

            "Exactly what do you mean by together?  If by together you mean we happened to be in the same store and we happened to leave at the same time, then 'yes,'" Summer said avoiding Seth's eyes.  "What are you guys up to?"

            "We're going to go see the new Viggo Mortensen movie.  Do you wanna come?" Morgan Koontz asked.

            "I can't.  I have to volunteer at the hospital," Summer said rolling her eyes.

            "I hate that community service shit.  I can't believe it's mandatory at Harbor.  See you later Summer," Ashley said turning to walk away followed by Morgan and a girl named Tammy Ferguson.

            As soon as they were out of earshot, Seth turned to Summer, a tense look on his face.  "What was that about?"

            "Nothing Cohen, chill."

            "Could you define chill?  If it's anything like your definition of together, it should be interesting."

            "What's your problem?" Summer asked as she ran her hand along Seth's arm.  

            "Nothing," Seth said turning away from her and walking toward the mall's entrance.  He could hear Summer's heels clicking against the linoleum floor as she ran to catch up with him.

            "Where are you going?"

            "Home.  I don't know.  Are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

            "Don't be silly," she said turning away.

            "Look at me," he said grabbing her by the arms and turning her to face him.  "Are … you … ashamed … to be seen with me?"  Seth didn't know why he was pushing the point.  Did he really want to know the answer?

            "It's not that simple," Summer said her shoulders beginning to slump.  "You don't understand.  I like you Cohen.  I don't know why, but I do.  But …."

            "But what?" Seth said holding her up.

            "The kids at school wouldn't understand."

            "Why do you care what they think?" 

            "Get real Cohen.  This isn't one of those comic books you like to read.  In the real world, what your friends think matter.  But of course you wouldn't understand that," she said straightening up then pulling away from him.

            "What is that suppose to mean?"

            "Nothing."

            "No, what do you mean I wouldn't understand?"

            "Well, you're not exactly the most popular guy at school.  You're not under the same pressures I am."

            "I see."  But truthfully, he didn't.  If he liked Summer and she liked him, shouldn't that be enough?

            "Why don't we go to the food court?  I'm starving." 

            "I'll pass.  In fact, I need to head home.  A family thing.  You know how that is."

            "Yeah," Summer said uncertainly.  

            They didn't speak on the ride home.  He'd spent the entire day with Summer and didn't know any more about her than when they'd started except that someone like him didn't fit into her world.

            After pulling into her driveway, Seth turned to her and said, "I had a nice time."

            "No, you didn't," Summer said reaching out and brushing his cheek with her hand. 

            Seth opened the driver's side door of the car and climbed out.  He walked around to the passenger side door and opened it for Summer.

            "Have a nice life Cohen." 

            "We still go to the same school Summer, and with Marissa and Ryan dating, we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

            "I know, but it won't be the same after this," she said leaning against his chest, then kissing him softly on the mouth.  As he drew her close, he noticed that she tasted like strawberries and her hair smelled like freesia.  Almost immediately, she pulled away.  "Bye," she said then walked up her front walk.  After unlocking her front door, she turned, gave Seth a small wave, then walked into the house, closing the door behind her.

            Seth stood for a few minutes just looking at Summer's front door.  His impulse was to run up her walk, ring the bell, bang on the door, and beg her to take him back but he knew that wasn't the right thing to do.  Suddenly the lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," a favorite of his parents, flooded his mind:  

_Well, I've been afraid of changing cause I've built my life around you_

_But time makes you bolder_

_Children get older_

_I'm getting older too_

His and Summer's time had come and passed.  Anna was right; he had invented his own Summer.  But, he realized as he walked around to the driver's side of the car and let himself in, that that wasn't such a bad thing after all.  His fantasies of Summer had provided him with a purpose during those lonely years before Ryan had come into his life, when it would have been so easy for him to crawl into a hole and die.  But he was older now, and as 1 Corinthians 13:11 says "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became and adult, I put an end to childish ways."

***

Monday morning, Seth waited by the entrance to the Harbor School's main building for Anna.  He'd thought about nothing and no one else over the weekend.  Finally, after ten minutes, he saw her walk across the quad toward the building.  As she got closer, a chill came over him.  He had to push through though, his very life depended on it. 

            "We need to talk," he said as she approached him.

            "I have nothing to say to you," she said barreling pass him like a bulldozer.

            "Look Anna, I'm sorry about everything."

            "Too little, too late," she said.

            Seth stood unable to move as the other students swerved to avoid walking into him.


	5. Chapter 5

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  The characters Jewel Goldman and Adam Roam are from the tv show "Skin."  "Skin" and its characters belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and Fox Television.  The lyrics to "You Are" were written by Wynonna Judd, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick.

***

            "You mean to tell me you're giving up, just like that," Ryan said as he stood before the mirror and adjusted his tie.  It was Saturday night, the night of the big dance, and he had to pick up Marissa in forty minutes.

            "Dude, Anna's not talking to me.  Besides, I heard she's going to the dance with Adam Roam," Seth said as he leaned against a table outside the bathroom's doorway.

            "Roam?  The DA's son.  I thought he was dating some pornographer's daughter."

            "I guess they broke up.  Anyway, he's taking Anna to the dance.  So, I guess it's just you and me partner," Seth said as he picked Captain Oats off the table and galloped him across the air.  

            "C'mon, you put more effort into brushing your teeth this morning.  Isn't Anna worth it?"

            "Yeah, but I'll probably end up making a fool out of myself," Seth said as he placed Captain Oats back on the table then walked to stand next to Ryan in the mirror, checking his face for hair.  

            "Don't take this the wrong way, but you've made a fool out of yourself over less."

            "Thanks for the pep talk buddy," Seth said hitting Ryan on the arm.

            "Seriously, you should come to the dance.  If I have to put on a monkey suit and endure this hell, you should too."

***

            An hour and ten minutes later, Seth, Ryan, and Marissa pulled in front of the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.  The two boys were dressed in simple black tuxedos while Marissa was clothed in a powder blue sequined Carolina Herrera dress.  

            "Well here goes nothing," Seth said as they climbed out of the car.  After handing his mother's car keys to the valet, he, Ryan and Marissa headed toward the hotel's ornate stone-carved entrance.  There were fashionably dressed couples both young and old crowding the hotel's lobby with its gold and crystal chandelier and mermaid fountain in the center of the room.

            "Seth," Marissa began then stopped.

            "What?"

            "I don't know how to say this."

            "Yeah," Seth said moving his hand in a winding motion, signaling Marissa to go on.

"Summer's going to be here."

            "I figured as much."

            Marissa looked from Ryan to Seth then at her shoes.  "She won't be alone."

            "Oh," Seth said.  He did feel something at the news, but it was hard for him to say exactly what.  He supposed some of it was a feeling of loss, he had spent six years of his life "loving" Summer, but he had made peace with them being just friends.  Anna was the one he wanted now.  When he was with her, he felt as if he was home and home was a good place to be.  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sympathetic looks on Marissa and Ryan's faces.  "I'm okay," he tried to reassure them.  "Really," Seth added after Ryan shot him one of his patented looks.  

            As they entered the hotel's main ballroom, white confetti fell onto their heads causing Ryan to sputter and almost choke.

            "Sorry," Marissa said brushing the confetti from his clothes and hair.  "The dance committee thought this would be cool."

            Seth immediately began scanning the room looking for Anna.  At first, all he saw were couples dressed in formal wear.  Like him and Ryan, most of the guys were outfitted in the basic black tuxedo, the girls, on the other hand, wore dresses in an array of colors and styles designed by Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Giorgio Armani, and Valentino to name a few.  Finally, he spotted her near a buffet table laughing at something Adam Roam was saying.  Adam was tall with brown closely cropped hair and because he ran track, his body was well toned.  A lot of girls found him attractive, but he'd been totally straight-laced before Jewel Goldman, the pornographer's daughter, had come along.  In fact, Seth had once overheard Adam say that 'his father was Irish, his mother was Mexican, and he was all Catholic.'  Plus, not only was his father the LA County District Attorney, but his mother was a federal judge.

Seth had to admit he was jealous.  It pained him to see some other guy talking intimately with Anna and making her laugh. But, he took a deep breath and slowly made his way over to the buffet table anyway.  He couldn't help noticing that the dance committee had gone all out with the refreshments; there was shrimp, crab cakes, prosciutto, and caviar.

            "I draw too," he heard Anna say.  "I haven't taken classes like you have though."

            "That's okay.  Natural talent is the key.  The classes just helped me work on technique," Adam replied.

            "Hello Anna," Seth said softly.

            "Adam, why don't we go dance," she said ignoring Seth and grabbing Adam's hand and leading him onto the dance floor.  

            Eva Cassidy's "Songbird" came over the sound system.  Seth watched painfully as Anna put her hand on Adam's shoulder and he placed his hand on the small of her back.  

"So I'm not the only one who thinks this scene is all wrong," a female voice said from behind him.  Seth turned around to see a blonde-haired girl standing next to him.  She was pretty with blue eyes and bee-stung lips, and was dressed in a silver, clingy, silk, sheath dress.

            "Jewel Goldman," she said extending her hand.

            "The pornographer's …," he stopped in mid-sentence realizing how awful that sounded.  "Sorry.  I'm Seth Cohen," he said shaking her hand.

            "Nothing I haven't heard before," she said.  But he could see her lower lip quiver as if she were about to cry.

            "So what school do you go to?"

            "Pacific.  I came here hoping to talk to Adam, but he seems to be occupied.  Who's the girl?"

            "Anna Stern."

            "Anna and Adam, how cute."

            "Yeah, cute like gremlins eating after midnight," Seth said under his breath.

            "Huh."

            "Nothing."

            "It's obvious you'd rather be with Anna and no offense, but I would definitely rather be with Adam."

            "Yep," Seth said rocking back and forth on his heels, his hands in his front pockets.

            "So what are we going to do?" Jewel asked.  

            _There's nothing more I can do_, Seth thought hopelessly.  "Well, I screwed up royally with Anna.  As a girl, if I wanted to win you back, what could I do?" he asked anyway.

            "Hmm," Jewel said as she picked up a crab cake.  "I guess something really romantic."

            _Romantic?  I don't know the first thing about romance_, he thought when an idea suddenly popped into his head.  _Was this Providence or Captain Oats working a miracle?_  "Something embarrassingly, humiliatingly romantic?" he asked her.

            "A little embarrassment and humiliation couldn't hurt."

            "If you'd excuse me," Seth said then walked over to the DJ booth.

            As soon as "Songbird" ended, the DJ switched on his headset microphone and said,  "Ladies and gentlemen, I have a karaoke request."

            A mixture of moans, groans, cheers, and jeers swept the crowd, but Seth squared his shoulders and walked onto the stage and up to the microphone.

            "If everyone could just bear with me," Seth began.  "Apparently, Wynonna Judd isn't popular with the kids, so I'm going to have to sing this a cappella."

            "Sit down Cohen," a male voice from the back of the room called out.

            "Yeah geek," another voice added.

            "There will be no more name calling gentlemen," Ms. Kim said.

            "Anna, this is for you."  Seth took a deep breath then began the opening lines of Wynonna's "You are."

_How do you do it anyway?_

_Like there ain't nothing to it_

_To make me stay_

_No tricks with smoke and mirrors_

_Not anything up your sleeve_

_ A second look and it can't be clearer_

_It's no mystery_

_It's in the way you love_

_It's in the little things you say_

_It's in the way you live_

_And give your heart away_

_It's in the chance you took_

_It's in the way you look at me_

_That sets you a world apart_

_And makes you who you are_

_You are … beautiful_

_You are_

_Pressed on my soul_

_Your fingerprint_

_Gone where no one's ever been_

_Well I don't know how but I know you're in it_

_My life, my world, my dreams_

_I try but I just can't pin it down to one thing_

            After Seth had finished, the audience remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, then all at once, the room erupted in applause.  Slowly he looked out at the crowd, Marissa and Ryan stood off to the side, Marissa clapping enthusiastically and Ryan, fingers in his mouth, making wolf whistles.  Next, his eyes landed on Summer.  She'd been crying and he could see her mouth the word 'bravo' as she gave him the thumbs up sign.  Finally, he turned to face Anna.  A part of him didn't want to see her just in case she still didn't feel the same as he did.  But there she was, alternately clapping and wiping tears from her eyes.  Adam was still by her side, but in the interim, Jewel Goldman had slipped next to him and was holding his hand.  Slowly Seth climbed down from the stage and made his way through the crowd of cheers and back slapping to where Anna stood.

            "Well," Seth said as he reached out and drew her close.  

            "I don't quite know what to say," Anna said rising on her tiptoes and brushing Seth's hair with her hand.

            "What!  Anna Stern.  Speechless," Seth said in mock horror.

            She smiled at him and leaned in close, so close that he could feel her breath on his cheek.  Then she kissed him softly on the mouth.  Seth could feel his body grow warm as a slow smile spread across his face.  Once she released him, he stood breathless, euphoric and so dazed that all he could do was stare at her open-mouthed.

            "What," Anna said smiling up at him.  "Seth Cohen.  Speechless."

_The End_


End file.
